San Diego County Receives First COVID-19 Vaccines For Military, Civilians

Speaker 1: 00:01 The Pfizer COVID vaccine is in San Diego. The first chip since have arrived in the first people, vaccinated will be healthcare workers. That's the news from County officials after the vaccine received formal emergency authorization late on Friday, the first vaccinations have already taken place today, mainly in medical centers on the East coast. But the good news about the vaccine is slightly dampened by its very limited supply. San Diego's expected 28,000 doses are only enough for about 70% of hospital workers in the County. And only for the first dose. Joining me is San Diego, Dr. Rodney hood, president, and founder of the multicultural health foundation and a member of California's COVID-19 scientific safety review work group. Dr. Hood, welcome to the program. Speaker 2: 00:50 Thank you for inviting me. Speaker 1: 00:52 Where are the shipments of the COVID vaccine being stored in San Diego? Speaker 2: 00:56 Well, uh, from my understanding, there are three places, uh, at, uh, children's Rady hospital university hospital, and at the County Speaker 1: 01:06 And each of those facilities have the very cold minus 97 degrees Fahrenheit apparatus that can keep this vaccine the way stabilize the way it needs to be. Speaker 2: 01:19 Yeah. So, uh, they, uh, uh, that's why they're there. They're all have the capacity to a store. I think it's minus 70 degrees or more. And, uh, those are the three places that have the capacity and then the distribution we'll go from there. Speaker 1: 01:35 Do you know when vaccinations will begin here in San Diego? Speaker 2: 01:40 You know, um, I honestly do not. I think, uh, that is now being determined. I think, uh, each, uh, hospital where the vaccines would be a distributed, uh, kind of, uh, developing their own plan, but when the first vaccine will be given, um, uh, I can't tell you, but I believe since it just came today within the next day or so Speaker 1: 02:04 Now the state review panel approved the vaccine after the FDA approval this weekend. What were those state discussions? Speaker 2: 02:11 Well, um, they were, uh, quite, uh, uh, interesting. They were, uh, very intense, very thorough. What we did was, uh, review the, uh, FDA data that Pfizer, uh, presented to the FDA. Uh, it was, uh, quite, uh, extensive, not only talking about safety and efficacy, but, uh, folks should know the Pfizer study was over 44,000 individuals. Most of them were in the United States, but there were other countries involved, including Turkey, Germany, South Africa, and Brazil and Argentina. It had a diverse ethnic background, but I think the most impressive thing was that the effectiveness of 94 5% was seen, uh, consistent across all of the subgroups, all of the ethnic racial subgroups, as well as, uh, age and gender. Speaker 1: 03:10 And why is the state recommending that the full 28,000 doses that are going to be given here in San Diego, be given as a first dose instead of saving some of the vaccine for the needed booster shot? Speaker 2: 03:24 Well, I think there's totally expected that there will be another, uh, shipment, uh, promised of, uh, Pfizer coming in the next several weeks. And so the, um, uh, uh, plan is is that when that, uh, second group comes that they will then get their second dose. Speaker 1: 03:43 Now hospitals in San Diego say they will not require their medical staff to get the vaccine. Do you agree with that decision? Speaker 2: 03:52 Well, um, I it's, it's kinda hard to force folks to get vaccines answer is a yes at this point, I don't think you should force anybody. I think there's a lot of education that needs to take place. I think that education has already taken place. I can tell you the surveys that I've seen over the past several months, including hospital staffs are, are showing more acceptance. So a several months ago, um, the, the surveys are now showing in the recent usher is more and more are beginning to be acceptance of, of the vaccine. Uh, if there is a silver lining into the, uh, shortage, um, those that are not willing to take it at this time, many of them are not saying they won't take it. They're just not willing to take it at this time. So as more and more vaccine rolls out in is available, hopefully there'll be enough vaccine for those that have delayed taking it. So in essence, because we only have 28,000 that the ones who want to get it, uh, will get it. And then those that change their mind later, as the vaccine goes out, we'll be able to get it. Then I believe as we move forward more and more people will be acceptance of the vaccine once when they hear how safe it is, uh, and, uh, get more information, Speaker 1: 05:18 RSM concerns that the strong reactions to the vaccine reported by some participants in the clinical trials will put off people from going in for the second dose. Do you think that may be a problem? Speaker 2: 05:30 Well, I think it's potential problem. However, I think that's why it's important to kind of educate folks that, um, yes, for this vaccine, we call it, uh, react to genicity meaning when you get the shot. Uh, there are, uh, local reactions to the shot that, um, we have seen a little bit more other vaccines. So in essence with the flu, uh, there's usually very little reactive genicity however, with this one, uh, what you see is local reaction, redness, little pain, and, uh, many times the reaction that people feel are a little bit more after the second dose. So I think educating folks about that, uh, it should be, it's really a positive thing. It's really, uh, letting us know that your body immune system is, are responding. So it is not an unexpected, uh, event. It's not an unexpected side side effect, but I think if you educate folks about it, there'll be less hesitancy. We have seen this with other vaccines. So, uh, for instance, with the, um, uh, shingles vaccine, that's a two dose vaccine, uh, there's a little bit more reactivity, uh, to that vaccine than the flu vaccine. So, uh, this should not be, uh, the curve folks from a getting it. And I think with education, um, that, uh, uh, that hopefully won't be a great problem from preventing them from getting it. Speaker 1: 07:05 I've been speaking with San Diego, Dr. Rodney hood and Dr. Hood. Thank you so much for speaking with us. Speaker 2: 07:12 You're welcome. Thank you.